RI Man Sentenced For Trafficking Thousands of Fentanyl Pills

Cranston RI

26 May, 2022

2:15 PM

Description

WEST WARWICK, RI — A Rhode Island man was sentenced Wednesday to four years in federal prison for selling thousands of fake Oxycontin pills laced with fentanyl to an undercover DEA agent. Richard Delsanto, 29, of West Warwick, pleaded guilty in February to distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. According to the court documents, in April and May 2021, a member of the Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force engaged in a series of text messages with Delsanto to buy 1,000 counterfeit OxyContin pills known to contain fentanyl. Delsanto delivered the pills on May 4, in exchange for $5,000. Nine days later, the undercover DEA Task Force officer asked to buy more drugs. As Delsanto arrived at an agreed-upon meeting spot, members of the DEA Drug Task Force stopped Delsanto's vehicle and seized approximately 3,000 pills containing fentanyl. Additionally, 700 fentanyl additional pills were seized from Delsanto's home. Following Delsanto's prison sentence, he will have to serve five years of supervised release.